Montana Land To Hand

TO BUILD A STRONG COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM THAT FOSTERS SOCIALLY JUST WAYS OF ACCESSING FOOD

FOOD FOR ALL PROGRAMS:LAND TO HAND MT'S MISSION IS TO BUILD A STRONG COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEM THAT FOSTERS SOCIALLY JUST WAYS OF ACCESSING FOOD. OUR FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE FOOD ACCESS, AND FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION. OUR FOOD FOR ALL PROGRAMS HELP ALLEVIATE THE STRESS OF AFFORDING HEALTHY, LOCAL FOOD, GIVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTROL THEIR FOOD CHOICES. OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE DOUBLE SNAP DOLLARS, SCHOOL COINS, SENIOR COUPONS, FOOD RX AND THE COLUMBIA FALLS WEEKEND BACKPACK PROGRAM. DOUBLE SNAP DOLLARS INCENTIVIZES SNAP RECEIPTS TO DOUBLE THEIR SNAP AT THE FARMERS MARKET FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. SENIOR COUPONS GIVE LOW INCOME SENIORS A $30 BOOKLET TO SPEND ON LOCAL FOOD. THE WEEKEND BACKPACK PROGRAM PROVIDES SIX MEALS EACH WEEKEND FOR OVER 350 STUDENTS IN COLUMBIA FALLS. LASTLY, OUR FOOD RX PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH LOGAN HEALTH TO PROVIDE "PRODUCE PRESCRIPTIONS" TO PATIENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS FOOD INSECURE. COMBINED, THESE PROGRAMS GENERATED $33,000 IN SALES IN THE 2023 FISCAL YEAR, SUPPORTING OVER 60 LOCAL FARMERS AND VARIOUS FOOD VENDORS.THE DOUBLE SNAP DOLLAR PROGRAM INCENTIVIZES LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS WHO UTILIZE SNAP (SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM) TO PURCHASE HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD AT FARMERS' MARKETS WITH A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH (UP TO $30) FROM LAND TO HAND TO USE AT THE LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET. WITH THE DOUBLE SNAP DOLLAR PROGRAM, SNAP CONSUMERS CAN STRETCH THEIR DOLLARS FURTHER WITH THE PURCHASE OF LOCAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. CURRENTLY, L2H OFFERS THIS PROGRAM AT THE FARMERS MARKETS IN WHITEFISH, COLUMBIA FALLS AND KALISPELL. WE ARE ALSO THE REGIONAL LEAD FOR THE DOUBLE SNAP DOLLAR NETWORK IN MONTANA, WORKING WITH REGIONAL MARKETS TO HELP ADMINISTER THIS PROGRAM STATEWIDE. ALL FUNDS RAISED BY L2H FOR THIS PROGRAM GO TOWARDS THE $30 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INCENTIVE FUNDS TO MATCH PURCHASES AT ALL THREE FARMERS' MARKETS IN THE FLATHEAD VALLEY. THE COLUMBIA FALLS BACKPACK PROGRAM PROVIDES WEEKEND FOOD BAGS TO ROUGHLY 375 FOOD INSECURE CHILDREN IN THE COLUMBIA FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT EVERY WEEK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. IN ADDITION, WE OFFER A FRESH FRUIT OR VEGETABLE SNACK EVERY FRIDAY TO ALL STUDENTS DISTRICTWIDE. TOGETHER, THESE TWO PROGRAMS PROVIDE OVER 1800 CHILDREN WITH HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS EACH WEEK, WHILE ALSO COMBATING HUNGER FOR COLUMBIA FALLS' MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS. DURING THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR, WE DELIVERED A TOTAL OF 94,000 MEALS.OUR SENIOR COUPON PROGRAM SUPPORTS 150 LOW INCOME SENIORS BY PROVIDING COUPON BOOKLETS TO USE AT FARMERS' MARKETS FOR FRESH, HEALTHY AND LOCAL FOODS. EACH BOOKLET IS WORTH $30, AND CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT THE MARKET SEASON.THE FOOD RX PROGRAM IS OUR NEWEST PROGRAM, AIDING IN-NEED INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN PROCURING THE NECESSARY FRUITS AND VEGGIES TO LIVE AS HEALTHFULLY AS POSSIBLE. THE PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOGAN HEALTH CLINICS AND LAND TO HAND THAT PROVIDES FRUIT AND VEGETABLE "PRESCRIPTIONS" TO FAMILIES THAT QUALIFY AS FOOD INSECURE. PATIENTS ARE REFERRED BY CLINIC PRACTITIONERS AND RECEIVE AN ORIENTATION PACKET. AFTER THE PATIENT SELECTS THEIR FARMERS MARKET OF CHOICE, THEY BRING THEIR PRESCRIPTION TO THE LAND TO HAND ACCESS BOOTH AT THE MARKET. THERE, WE GUIDE CLIENTS THROUGH THE WEEKLY PROCESS OF PURCHASING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH THEIR PRESCRIPTION. PATIENTS RECEIVE A WEEKLY ALLOTMENT TO SPEND ON LOCAL, FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THIS PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER WITH INFORMATION ABOUT FOOD PREPARATION AND MEAL PLANNING. IN THE 2022-2023 FISCAL YEAR WE HAD 54 PATIENTS AND 180 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVE PRODUCE PRESCRIPTIONS COMBATTING NUTRITION INSECURITY IN OUR VALLEY.

FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS:OUR FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN COLUMBIA FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT INCORPORATE GARDEN AND NUTRITION EDUCATION INTO CLASSROOMS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THE WILDCAT GARDEN, A QUARTER ACRE GARDEN AND OUTDOOR CLASSROOM, PROVIDES SPACE TO HOLD SUMMER CAMPS, COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, EDUCATION WORKSHOPS, SEED SAVING CLINICS AND SCHOOL BASED LEARNING. THIS 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAD 2100 YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS.THE SCHOOL COINS PROGRAM CONNECTS FIFTH GRADERS IN THE VALLEY TO A "FOOD MILES" LESSON TO INCREASE STUDENT KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE FOOD COMES FROM. FOLLOWING THE LESSON, STUDENTS ARE PRESENTED WITH A $5 COIN THEY CAN USE AT THE FARMERS MARKET TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN LOCAL FRUIT OR VEGGIES.

FREE THE SEEDS:FREE THE SEEDS, AN ANNUAL PROGRAM OF LAND TO HAND, IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH REAL SEEDS, REAL FOOD AND REAL AGRICULTURAL SKILLS. EVERY SPRING, FREE THE SEEDS OFFERS ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TO LEARN ABOUT FOOD PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRACTICES IN THE FORM OF A SEED-SAVING "FAIR". EVERY ASPECT OF THE FAIR EMPHASIZES THE VALUE OF A ROBUST, COMMUNITY-BASED FOOD SYSTEM. THE EVENT OFFERS EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS BY LOCAL EXPERTS, AS WELL AS BOOTHS WITH RESOURCES AND INFORMATION REGARDING ACCESSING, GROWING AND PROCESSING FOOD IN A LOCAL AND SUSTAINABLE MANNER.L2H HOSTS THE SEED EXCHANGE AND COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS FOCUSED EXPLICITLY ON OUR VALLEY'S FOOD SYSTEM, AND WAYS WE CAN MAKE IT STRONGER. ALL WORKSHOPS ARE OPI-ACCREDITED FOR K-12 TEACHERS, AND KIDS EIGHT AND OLDER CAN ATTEND KID-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.